About
Amy enjoys the personal touch and care she contributes to make dogs and their owners happy. She is passionate about building trust, love, understanding, and communication between animals and their owners through the use of science-based, force-free training techniques.
Since childhood, Amy has felt a connection with animals. She is fortunate to have come from a family that shared this connection and welcomed many creatures, big and small, into their home. Amy's interest in training was sparked early in adolescents. She pursued this interest by attending dog-training classes with her family's golden retriever, Jessie, and along with her family helped introduce Jessie to scent and retrieval training.
Through the years, Amy has continued to learn and gain experience through the completion of veterinary assistant courses; animal rescue volunteer work (such as bathing and handling search dogs between training sessions); completing extended class time to become a shelter Animal Ambassador; attending, assisting and teaching group dog-training classes; and, eventually, graduating from the Dog-Tec Dog Walking Academy and the distinguished Karen Pryor Academy (KPA) Dog Trainer Professional (DTP) program. Amy continues to seek every opportunity to learn more about the most up-to-date, science-based, force-free methods in the care and training of dogs, recently earning the Certificate of Excellence through Living and Learning with Animals, The Science & Technology of Behavior Change tele-course. She embraces this continued learning as an ever-evolving chance to help dogs and their families live happy and healthy lives.
Amy has experience in training, walking, bathing, and handling various breeds, sizes, and temperaments. She has helped and handled fearful and leash-reactive dogs. Amy has volunteered in animal rescue, assisting at the Humane Society of Ventura County, National Disaster Search Dog Foundation, and the Canine Adoption and Rescue League. She is a Karen Pryor Certified Training Partner (KPA-CTP), a Puppy Start Right Instructor, a Fear Free Certified Professional, and a bonded and insured DogTec Certified Dog Walker; she is also certified in pet First Aid.
Amy is a proud and dedicated mother to four wonderful children raised with her husband, Al, during their 28 years of friendship and marriage. When she is not hiking and training her own dogs, Frank and Tucker, she spends cherished time with her family. Amy is incredibly caring, kind-hearted, dependable, and trustworthy— one of the nicest people you will ever meet! Your family will receive the best of care in her hands.